Washington Cask Beer Festival – The Time is Now

The Washington Cask Beer Festival is rapidly approaching – now only about one month away. This year the event is scheduled for Saturday, March 30. There are two sessions: afternoon and evening. The new venue is larger, but that’s no guarantee that it will not sell out. Get your tickets now. As most local beer geeks know, the first session is likely to sell out first.

See our previous post about Washington Cask Beer Festival, visit the official website for tickets and information, or see the press release below.

(Seattle, WA) February 19, 2013- The Washington Brewers Guild will present its annual Washington Cask Beer Festival on Saturday, March 30. After selling out for several years in a row at the previous venue the event will move to the much larger Seattle Center Exhibition Hall to accommodate more cask enthusiasts this year.

The move to a larger venue is quite an accomplishment for an event with a rather humble beginning. The Cask Festival was conceived by a handful of Guild member breweries back when many beer drinkers were still unfamiliar with cask-conditioned beer. The inaugural event was held at Hale’s Ales Brewery in 2000 with less than 15 Washington breweries and was attended by just a few hundred guests. Today cask beer is widely appreciated by many craft beer enthusiasts and its growing popularity is evident in the number of breweries and pubs that host cask nights on a regular basis.

Seattle Center Exhibition Hall can accommodate nearly 1,500 people per session, almost doubling the previous years’ attendance. But not this year. The supply of cask-conditioned beer is still rather limited and although more and more breweries make cask beer these days many do not have enough cooperage to provide enough beer for a crowd of that size. For this year’s event the attendance goal is set at 1,000 people per session, about 25% increase over 2012, and the event hopes to grow gradually over the next few years. Due to the overwhelming popularity of the event it is still expected to sell out again, even at the larger venue. Early advance ticket purchase is strongly recommended, especially for the first session.

The Cask Festival is presented by the Washington Brewers Guild, a non-profit organization whose mission is to build a community of Washington State brewers, advance their common interests through the legislative process and promote the quality and value of their beers. Dozens of Guild members recently gathered in Olympia for their annual “Hill Climb” to visit the state legislators and ask for their support of the Washington brewing industry. There are more than 190 breweries in Washington State and they employ more than 3,500 individuals, generating a significant economic impact on the state’s economy.

The Cask Festival will host two sessions; from noon to 4pm and 6pm to 10pm on Saturday, March 30. Admission is $40 in advance or $45 at the door, if tickets are still available. Separate tickets are required for each session. Admission includes a commemorative tasting glass and up to 25 sample tastes. Tickets are available online at www.washingtonbrewersguild.org and at select ticket outlets.

Washington Cask Beer Festival is a major highlight of the Pacific Northwest beer festival scene. The event features one-of-a-kind handcrafted cask-conditioned beers from over 40 Washington breweries. To stay true to the tradition of cask-conditioned beer the Festival requires brewers to naturally condition the beer in a firkin or other vessels without artificially introducing CO2. Poured by gravity the result is smooth ale with a thick creamy head that brings out subtle, nuanced flavors.

HERBERT’S LEGENDARY CASK FEST ALE

Also serving is Herbert’s Legendary Cask Festival Ale, a special cask beer brewed collectively by the Washington brewers in memory of Bert Grant, a legendary Washington beer icon. This year’s Herbert’s will be brewed at Snipes Mountain Brewery in Sunnyside in collaboration with other Central Washington area breweries. Herbert’s will be available at the Cask Festival as well as select pubs prior to the event.

FOOD

There will be a few snack options available for purchase that are perfect accompaniments to a wide array of cask-conditioned beers; Dante’s Inferno Dogs (assortment of hot dogs), Brave Horse Tavern (house-made pretzels and accompanying sauces), and Mt. Townsend Creamery (assortment of artisan cheeses).

BENEFICIARY

Washington Brewers Guild is a non-profit organization whose mission is to build a community of Washington State brewers, advance their common interests through the legislative process and promote the quality and value of their beers.